


Cracked Marble

by thequietcanadian



Series: Stories of the Seasons [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Consequences, James Ironwood is mentioned for like a fraction of a second, M/M, Magic, alternative universe, season spirits au, seasonal spirits au, the seasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequietcanadian/pseuds/thequietcanadian
Summary: a week after their first encounter Clover and Qrow are getting along swimmingly. It isn't until sleep calls to them that Qrow even realizes anything is wrong and something is very very wrong.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Stories of the Seasons [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985941
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Cracked Marble

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I couldn't help myself and so I'm making this into a little bit of a series. I don't know how long its going to be but it'll be made up of different moments between Qrow and Clover and chapters will be shorter than most of my other fics. Hope everyone enjoys and if you guys have time please drop a comment it really makes my day. as always stay safe and healthy.

The first few nights together Qrow doesn’t see that anything is wrong. The young spirit before him is friendly if a little bit cocky in his abilities. He makes frost dance across windows beautiful designs that curl and twist in remarkable ways, but never turn to ice on windowsills. His snowstorms are mild, leaving a light dusting across towns and cities, enough to be fun, but not enough to snow them out. It was astounding to see, there were spirits who were twice Clovers age who didn’t have as a hold of their magic as well as Clover did. So Qrow didn’t blame him for his attitude, his control was on par with more mature spirits, and there hadn’t been a hint of accidental magic to occur. It should have raised some warning flags to Qrow that something was seriously wrong. With the amount of magic Clover should have from both Ozpin and James the kid should be letting lose left and right, he’s too mesmerized by the way the fledgling wields his magic though to think much on it. Besides each spirt has different levels of out put regardless of where they originated from and Qrow chalks up his control to this.  
It’s just beginning to pass their first week together when Qrow begins to feel the edge of fatigue in his mind that he realizes that he may be pushing his companion a little harder than necessary. While being a spirit meant they didn’t need rest as often as the mortal they still needed to rest and relax. A recharge for their vessels, a body needs to recuperate mortal or immortal. So Qrow finds a nice clearing in the wilds of Anima, the trees already barren, and the ground hard. While not his home in Patch it would be fine for a temporary sleeping spot. Clover nearly crashes into the ground as they land, the weariness more prominent in his features, and Qrow can’t help the feelings of guilt that swirl in his mind. He instructs Clover to set up camp, heading off to grab some firewood, before returning soon after. Qrow builds it into a roaring bonfire, using his summer magic to make it easier to start, drying the wood faster then if he stayed in his winter form, he switches back soon after, the feel of the other season uncomfortable. The heat takes the chill of his winter form, and Qrow finds himself edging closer to the fire then what should be comfortable, but just because he doesn’t feel the cold doesn’t mean the heat doesn’t feel good across his chilled skin. From over the fire Qrow sees Clover looking around the clearing an anxious air about him.  
“We’ll rest tonight” Qrow says with finality, the threads of sleep tugging at his consciousness. Biding him to rest his drained body.  
“Mhm not tired” Qrow glanced over again to see Clover already lying belly down in front of the fire, eyes drifting off, if the crackling and popping from the fire weren’t so loud in his ear Qrow would likely have heard the worn out sound that left him.  
“Sure, you aren’t” Qrow doesn’t get a response, doesn’t expect one and slowly he succumbs to sleep.   
Qrow wakes to the sound of a small whimper to his left. The sound similar to a wounded animal he nearly ignores it in favor of returning to the realm of dreams until a second one rings out across the clearing. Groggily he glances up looking for the source, forgetting about his companion for a moment. No sooner does he realize where the sound is coming from, he’s on his feet, a flash of cold panic trickling into his very bones. Frost curls outward from his fast foot falls, ice freezing his knees to the ground as he kneels beside his friend. Qrow lets out a sound of anguish as he gently pulls one arm out from under the fledgling, laying it straight as light poured from the cracks that wound across his shoulders. Qrow stared in shock as the light shifted in tone, from a mossy green, to the colour of leaves just formed on a cool spring day, then back to something dark nearly the colour of the depths of the sea. It was Clovers magic, no longer fully restrained, it had broken parts of his form the excess he’d help like a vice spilling out in the only way it could. Qrow couldn’t bare the thought of seeing how far they went across his body, scared to see just how far Clover had pushed his vessel. The amount of light pouring off of him alone wasn’t something Qrow had ever seen before and was quite frankly unsettling. It would have killed a lesser spirit.  
“Cloves, hey wake up” Qrow nudges him gently in the side altogether avoiding his upper body, trying not to provoke the cracking further. All he gets was a distressed whine in response, the light intensifying for a moment before settling back into a slightly dimmer glow. Qrow makes a split-second decision, taking a deep breath he delves into his magic, maroon filling his vision before it too shifts like Clovers, going from Maroon to the colour of a rose, before twisting into a rusted red, swooping into a currant before its cycling in even more directions. It takes Qrow a moment to center himself, before he opens his eyes, seeing the threads of magic that connects him to the seasons and more importantly he sees Clovers. Carefully he probs Clovers bright green that’s wrapped around his form, held so tightly it doesn’t move farther than a few inches. it gives almost instantly, the vice like grip Clover had on it caving under the light pressure of Qrow’s own. Magic bursts out around them, magic summoning a rush of wind, that rapidly puts out the remaining embers of their fire. An inch of snow covers the surrounding area, frost crawling up trees dizzyingly fast, ice forming from the moisture in the air, falling to the ground and shattering on impact. Clouds brew dangerously overhead, thunder roared as a harsh snowfall began. If Qrow had any doubts that Clover had any part of James magic then they were gone now, the thundersnow only a characteristic of ones given power from him by the looks of it too the storm would rage for several days Clovers excess magic would likely cause a much heavier snowstorm even for a accidental one. Qrow does his best to shield them from the worst of it calling for the wind to create a small bubble around them. The snow surrounding them quickly piles up stifling any sound that could have been made from the storm, making a wretchedly quiet atmosphere, broken only by an ear-splitting sob startling Qrow into looking down. Clover stares up at him with wide eyes, tears trailing down his cheeks, before freezing as they fell through the air. Clovers clothes are stiff with frost, every up hitch of his shoulders breaking off small bits of it, another cry leaves Clover and Qrow watches as he tries to rein in the chaos around them, failing miserably that only leaves Clover crying harder, the look of failure and utter defeat written across his body. Some how between heart-wrenching sobs Clover manages to speak.  
“I’m sorry, I- I didn’t mean too” Qrow’s heart clenches in his chest, as he slowly sits beside the upset fledgling pulling them into a loose hug still wary of hurting the young spirit. The light from around his shoulders that hadn’t already escaped burning brightly across Clovers shoulders as he held on as tightly as he could. He shushed the spirt in his arms, fingers going to rake through his hazel hair as he rubbed soothingly into his arm.  
“What are you sorry for Clover?”  
“I didn’t mean to let it go I” Qrow let out a sound of distress, like he would be angry with him for losing control over something that should have been let go long ago.  
“Clover your magic was breaking your vessel. You needed to let the excess go” there’s silence between them, Clover won’t look at him, the silence stifling between them as snow and sleet block out any sound to be made before Clover in a quite voice asks a tentative question.  
“You aren’t mad?” The way Clover shakes in his arms, his magic shining brightly through cracked shoulders, has Qrow answering before he can think of a better one, needing the fledgling to know that it was okay.  
“Why would I be mad?” Clover for the first time since their first fated meeting shrinks in on himself, clutching the fabric of Qrow’s shirt. A whine climbing up his throat that gets caught halfway out. Clover takes a deep breath, avoiding Qrow’s eyes as he starts talking.  
“When I was younger, much younger, the General came to visit once, just once, when I was in Vacuo and, He’d- he’d never come to see me you see and and” Clover begins to weep again a wet sob leaving him as he continues.  
“I was so happy that, some of it spilt out.” Clover chokes out the last words, like it pained him to even admit them and he shakes in Qrow’s arms, he did his best to reassure the fledgling as he continued.  
“He was so mad, said I-I needed to learn how to control myself better and then he…he just left” Clover buried his face in Qrow’s shoulder, and the light in between the cracks in his skin shinned brighter as he suppressed it. Qrow could practically picture James now, cold words digging into his fledgling like barbs, lodging themselves there and taking root. James indifferent demeanour likely only amplified the issue causing more harm then good, So much harm over nothing.  
“Oh Clover, that’s utter bullshit” Clover looks up at him sharply, shock evident on his features. As he sees Qrow’s open and honest expression.  
“What” Clover manages to stutter out, and Qrow can’t help the gentle smile that comes to his face as he begins to explain.  
“It’s bullshit. You won’t have complete control for at least another two hundred years. Even then accidents can happen, I’m over five hundred years old and I still manage to spill outwards” it was a confession that Qrow was not all that proud to admit, but Ozpin had made it clear that he and the other members that made up their Quartet of seasons wouldn’t have complete control likely until they were nearing nine hundred, the fall back Qrow supposed of being made from the two most powerful beings in existence.   
“It’s okay?” Clover says quietly into his shoulder. The hopeful tone spurring Qrow on to speak.  
“Of course, it’s okay” Qrow says softly before tilting Clovers head up to look at him.  
“What’s not okay is allowing your magic to attack your corporeal form” Qrow carefully runs a finger over the cracked lines, the groan of pain he gets from Clover is answer enough.  
“we only get one, if you continue the way you are it will leave permanent irreparable damage” The light shined through Qrows fingers as he hovered over Clovers shoulders waiting to make sure Clover understood the implication of what he was saying before continuing.  
“Lucky charm. You have to let it go” Clover gnawed on his lip nervously, hands twisting in his lap, before he spoke.  
“You won’t leave?” Qrow’s eyes soften, his magic surging in him the need to reassure overwhelming.  
“Of course not, now let go Clover” It takes a moment but the green light that shines so brightly across clovers back eventually launches outward, and flies across the space. There’s a crack of lighting in the distance to the West, snow turning into hail as the wind picks up in speed and ferocity as the remainder of Clover’s excess magic is expelled. Clovers frame relaxes the weight of his magic finally eased from his being.  
“Better?” Qrow asks already knowing the answer but wanting the confirmation. He gets a worn-out nod from Clover who slumps into his chest, eyes already fluttering closed. The cracks in Clovers form where still there, Qrow wasn’t sure if they’d scar and even if they didn’t, they would take awhile to heal. But just below the surface, he caught a glimpse of Clover’s magic green swirling in peace, a flash of gold appearing for just a moment before disappearing within the sea of green.  
“I’ll show you how to turn the excess into dust tomorrow, rest for now Clover” Qrow asked, he didn’t expect an answer, wasn’t even sure he wanted one at the moment.  
“I can do that?” Qrow couldn’t help the smile that came to his face as he nodded, not realizing that Clover couldn’t see the action. It didn’t matter really Qrow knew he was halfway back into the realm of dreams. With Clover still in his arms he laid down with every intention of sleeping the day away, Clover snuggled closer, a sound of happiness leaving him, before his body relaxed completely in sleep.


End file.
